People who have very kindly read my blog know that most of
my blog posts are sarcastic/ funny/ borderline preachy or most likely a
combination of both. But this night is different. Today I want to write about a
friend who I am very proud of. You see, this friend is turning producer and I
couldn’t be happier. No, I’m not talking about Shahrukh Khan and Happy New Year
(though I’m terribly excited to see him burn hundreds of crores on screen)
The friend I’m talking about is Prajakta, naam to suna hi
hoga. Actually you wouldn’t have heard of her because she’s still a student in
the US and is turning producer for her student thesis film. Though we don’t go
too long way back, what we lack in duration we made up for in quality. She is
my late night chat friend, cheap jokes partner, and obviously, the mother of my
fictional child (long story)
When she came to India the last time, she told me about a
real life incident that happened with her, which she planned to make into a
movie. And now she is actually doing it, coming down to India with her crew and
shooting the movie. And I’m genuinely amazed at the kind of responsibility she’s
showing, carrying a film (short though it may be) on her shoulders.
The story was one of the more intriguing ones that I’d heard
in some time, and not the least because the protagonist is a journalist. It
deals with the journalist finding an abandoned baby in an alleyway, and how her
choices follow her for life. Most of us have never come across an abandoned
baby, so I’d be lying if I said that I identify with the story. But most of us
HAVE had to live with the repercussions of our decisions just like Keira, the
protagonist, which is why the story strikes a universal chord. The film is called
‘The Obvious’ for reasons that are not so obvious, so let’s not get into that.
What’s more interesting is how easily her classmates agreed
to come to India for this project, despite all of them being India virgins. But
according to Prajakta, they all understand this seemingly alien culture very
well, and also helped her develop the story, set completely in Mumbai.
‘Obvious’ly, they are getting lessons in Hindi (unfortunately no cuss words),
which will help them navigate the crazy world of Mumbai.
When I spoke to the very enthusiastic crew over mail, they all
showed tremendous faith in the subject and a will to make the best product out
of the story. The director, Omar Moujaes, who hails from Lebanon, is working
very hard to get the location and characterization absolutely spot on, but as a
Mumbaikar I can promise that the city will throw up some surprises for the team
for sure!
I have a sneaky feeling that most of the crew wants to come
to India only for the spicy food, culture and of course GOA! And the first
AD-Katie did confess that she would like to check out the beaches of Goa while
she’s here.
You might think about why I’m writing about this student
film with a team full of young aspiring filmmakers from different countries.
You might even have a sneaking suspicion that I’m shamelessly trying to plug
this project. In which case, let me clear all your doubts and tell you that
yes, I AM plugging this project because it needs YOU. Prajakta and her team
have big plans for the film. They want to mount it on a big scale, take it to
film festivals and showcase Mumbai and tell one of the million stories that the
city sees every day. But all of this comes at a cost. Flying the whole team
down, setting them up here, hiring equipment and actors-all of this will take,
you guessed it, quite a sizeable amount of money. Prajakta and her team being
students, it’s quite difficult for them to raise the money that would be
required to cover all the production costs. *cue a heart breaking story about a
brave desi girl going to foreign lands and trying to make her dream come true
against all odds like the horrible exchange rate and expensive cameras for
hire* You wouldn’t let some money get in the way of a person’s dreams right?
Right?
If the movie could be made with only good intentions and perseverance,
I’m sure these filmmakers wouldn’t have needed any help. Sadly that’s not the
case, and they need people to come forward to donate money so that this story
sees the light of the day. There will be a link for all the good Samaritans to
send their money and blessings (again in the form of money) about which I will
post an update soon.
So people who love movies, Mumbai and the idea of foreign people
coming to our city, do open your hearts and help ‘The Obvious’ team. Your name
will not only be credited and seen at all the film festivals, but who knows, when
people in the crew become hotshot Hollywood entities, you’ll know that you’ve
had a small part in their success.
The choice is obvious. Will you make it?
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